Prior art fiber optic connectors have been provided for joining cables which contain optical fibers. Additional background information regarding fiber optic connectors and descriptions of a prior art connector may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,849, which is incorporated herein by reference.
One problem with prior art connectors is the number and complexity of components that are manufactured and included within the connector to provide the desired functionality. One prior art connector utilizes two separate seal elements to seal a termini within a bore (sealed termini). This includes one floating seal assembly having a first O-ring seal and a second adjacent seal assembly having a separate O-ring seal. The use of two seals increases the cost and complexity of the termini/connector. Therefore, there exists a need for an improved seal element that reduces the number of components and provides the same or similar functionality as the prior art sealing elements.
In another aspect, it has been determined that a problem exhibited by prior art connectors is the use of an unsecured alignment sleeve within the connector to align the adjacent termini of optical fibers within coupled connectors. Because the sleeves have internal bores that are slightly larger than the outside diameter of the periphery of the termini ferrule, the alignment sleeves are relatively loose fitting around the ferrule. When a termini is removed from the connector (or when connectors are decoupled from one another), such as for cleaning or modification of the connector, the sleeve may fall out and become lost. This may be especially troublesome depending on the environment in which the connector is being used (i.e., in the field). Further, when the connectors are coupled, additional time may be required to ensure the sleeves are properly positioned before mating.
Accordingly, there exists a need for new connector and/or mechanism that secures or captivates the alignment sleeve in the connector, thereby reducing or eliminating the possibility of losing or damaging the alignment sleeves.